Assessment Plans

Spring 2019:

Math Major Outcomes A,B,E will be assessed using the uniform final exam for MAT 176.

Math Major Outcomes A-G will be assessed via a questionnaire made available online to all Junior and Senior math majors.

Service course MAT 132 will be assessed using the uniform final exam.

Fall 2018:

Math Major Outcomes A,B,E,F,G will be assessed using the Final Exam from MAT 320.

Service courses MAT 132 and MAT 172 will be assessed using their respective uniform final exams.

Spring 2018:

Math Major Outcomes A,B,E,F,G will be assessed using the Final Exam from MAT 320.

Math Major Outcomes A-G will be assessed via a questionnaire made available online to all Junior and Senior math majors.

MAT 132 will be assessed via the PYS 226 survey prepared in the fall.

Fall 2017:

Math Major Outcomes A, B, C, E, F will be assessed using the Final Exam from MAT 313.

An initial survey will be prepared for PYS 226 to help with future assessment of MAT 132.

Spring 2017:

MAT176 will be assessed using the uniform Final Exam.

MAT345 will be assessed using the Final Exam designed by the instructor of the course. Note: Due to low enrollment in MAT 345, a section of MAT 226 was assessed instead (for comparison with Fall 2016 results).

Fall 2016:

MAT175 will be assessed using the uniform Final Exam.

MAT226 will be assessed using the Final Exam designed by the instructor of the course.

Updated Assessment Plan (Fall 2012):

Math Assessment Schedule Spreadsheet. Reports on the thoroughly assessed courses will become available at this site when they are completed. The reports will be organized by course (select the course number from the column on the left) and by semester (select the semester report from the column on the left).

More advanced courses without uniform syllabi will be assessed every few years by the faculty teaching the course using their own assessment materials. These courses include the courses required for the math major: MAT226, MAT313, MAT314 and MAT320 as well as the courses required for future teachers MAT237 and MAT345. Other advanced courses are electives and vary from year to year. Although these courses have been tentatively listed on the schedule, the exact timing of their assessment will vary.

The major itself will be assessed by directly testing students on their achievement of the math major outcomes in the required courses of the math major. For mathematics, every outcome is directly measured in multiple courses via final exams with an emphasis on Technology in the Calculus Laboratory Sequence (MAT155 and MAT156) and an emphasis on Constructing a Rigorous Mathematical Argument in Real Analysis (MAT320) and Modern Algebra (MAT314). Other outcomes of the mathematics major appear repeatedly throughout the major. Naturally students may take electives providing further emphasis on any particular outcome which is most relevant to their career path. Future teachers, in particular, are required to take Modern Geometry (MAT345) and Discrete Mathematics (MAT237). Students interested in enhancing their computer programming skills may elect to take Programming Methods I (CMP230) which is assessed as part of the Computer Science major. Each math course objective has been assigned one or more corresponding major objectives (see the syllabi). In this way we may progress through the assessment of the major outcomes as well as the courses' outcomes using the same direct measure: the final exam. The outcomes of the major are distributed into therequired courses of the major as described on the Math Assessment Schedule Spreadsheet. We have the same outcomes and distribution as in the original plan only the assessment schedule has been updated.

Original January 2010 Two Year Assessment Plan:

As we progress through the years, different courses will be assessed in order. Assessments of courses using the new system of outcomes began in Spring 2010. Assessments of the lower level courses, College Algebra-Calculus, will involve a reevaluation of uniform syllabi which include careful scheduling of every chapter in the textbook. Such courses have always been reevaluated by the calculus committee, but modern methods using outcomes only began in 2010. Assessments of advanced courses will be done on a more individual basis by faculty. Every semester, course outcomes will be tested on a final exam in all math courses. The schedule for thorough assessment of particular courses is on the Math Assessment Schedule Site (googledoc) Reports on the thoroughly assessed courses will become available at this site when they are completed. The reports will be organized by course (select the course number from the column on the left) and by semester (select the semester report from the column on the left).

Modern assessment of the lower level courses began with the collection of data for College Algebra on our uniform final in Spring 2010. This data consists of the scores of all students on each question of the uniform departmental final. These questions on the final directly measure the various outcomes for the course. In Fall 2010 we will proceed to Precalculus, then Calculus I in Spring 2011, then Calculus II in Fall 2011 and back to College Algebra over a two year cycle. For each course, the assessment will begin with data collection, followed by analysis, followed by proposals to the Educational Policy Committee and ending with possible adjustments to the syllabi if needed. In addition to assessing for outcomes, we will continue our traditional methods of assessment in which a course is judged not only by progress of the students in the course, but by their success in subsequent courses. For this reason we are assessing the sequence in ascending order.

More advanced courses without uniform syllabi will be assessed every few years by the faculty teaching the course. This assessment began with data collection on Geometry in Spring 2010 ( a course designed with NSF funding through the MTTI program to train teachers to teach the new NYS HS curriculum). The Geometry course's outcomes are assessed through various problems on the final exam. Data on course projects has also been collected. In Fall 2010 data will be collected on Analysis I ( a required course in the math major) and on Discrete Math (another course to train teachers). In 2011, we will assess Linear Algebra and Modern Algebra. Analysis of the data will be completed the semester after the data is collected and faculty will be informed of the results so that they may adapt their courses accordingly. The data in each situation will consist of recording the performance of students on problems on the finals pertaining to each specific course objective.

The major itself will be assessed by directly testing students on their achievement of the math major outcomes in the required courses of the math major. For mathematics, every outcome is directly measured in multiple courses via final exams with an emphasis on Technology in the Calculus Laboratory Sequence (MAT155 and MAT156) and an emphasis on Constructing a Rigorous Mathematical Argument in Real Analysis (MAT320) and Modern Algebra (MAT314). Other outcomes of the mathematics major appear repeatedly throughout the major. Naturally students may take electives providing further emphasis on any particular outcome which is most relevant to their career path. Future teachers, in particular, are required to take Modern Geometry (MAT345) and Discrete Mathematics (MAT237). Students interested in enhancing their computer programming skills may elect to take Programming Methods I (CMP230) which is assessed as part of the Computer Science major. Each math course objective has been assigned one or more corresponding major objectives (see the syllabi). In this way we may progress through the assessment of the major outcomes as well as the courses' outcomes using the same direct measure: the final exam. The official Lehman College Charted Assessment Plan for the Math Major (googledoc) itemizes the outcomes of the major and how each is assessed.